Immersing in Amherst College: Campus Life and Culture

Amherst College, nestled in the vibrant town of Amherst, Massachusetts, offers a distinctive and enriching campus life experience. With a student body of around 1,800 undergraduates and a 1,000-acre campus adjacent to a lively downtown, Amherst combines the intimacy of a small liberal arts college with the resources and opportunities of a larger university setting. The college is located in Amherst, Massachusetts, a town of 35,000 people in the western part of the state. Amherst is a place of cherished traditions and steady reinvention, with a true college-town feel.

A Connected and Inclusive Community

Amherst College distinguishes itself with a strong sense of community, fostering a connected and inclusive campus life. The college is committed to diversity and inclusion, striving to create a dynamic and inclusive space where individuals of all backgrounds can thrive in the community. Amherst is one of the most diverse liberal arts colleges in the country. This commitment is reflected in various theme communities and organizations that celebrate and support diverse identities and interests.

Open Curriculum: A Foundation for Intellectual Exploration

One of the defining features of Amherst College is its open curriculum system. Amherst is one of the few colleges in the country that has this system, which encourages a diverse and rich learning environment. With no core general education requirements aside from the major, students have the freedom to take courses in a wide range of subjects, encouraging intellectual exploration. This translates into lively class discussions with different viewpoints as students from various academic backgrounds come together. The open curriculum fosters intellectual curiosity and allows students to tailor their education to their individual passions and goals.

The Five College Consortium: Expanding Horizons

Amherst is also part of the Five College Consortium, which consists of Amherst College, Smith College, Mount Holyoke College, Hampshire College, and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. As an Amherst student, you have the opportunity to take courses, attend events, and utilize resources at these schools, which can greatly enrich your campus experience. This collaboration provides access to a wider range of academic disciplines, social activities, and cultural events, enriching the overall college experience. The University of Massachusetts, Amherst, is literally right down the road by either a short walk or a free bus ride. From Amherst College, head about 4 miles south, and you'll arrive at Hampshire College, an innovative, boundary-breaking liberal arts college, empowering students to tackle complex world problems since 1970. Located in Northampton, Smith College has been a leader in higher education since its founding in 1871, guiding generations of creative and determined students. Founded in 1837, Mt. Holyoke College is a private liberal arts women's college located in South Hadley, MA, only 10 miles south of Amherst College. One of the many connections between the two schools is the fact that Emily Dickinson (whose grandfather, Samuel Fowler Dickinson, helped found Amherst College), attended Mt. Holyoke from 1847 to 1848.

Small Size, Big Impact: Intimate Classes and Close Relationships

The college's size contributes to its unique campus life too. As a relatively small college, with an undergraduate population of around 1,800, Amherst has a low student-to-faculty ratio. This results in small, intimate classes and the opportunity for students to form close relationships with their professors. The same small size facilitates a tight-knit community where students know each other well. This close-knit environment fosters a sense of belonging and encourages collaboration and intellectual exchange.

Read also: Comprehensive Guide to Amherst

Residential Life: Building Connections in the Dorms

Amherst campus life also includes a robust residential life, as the college is largely residential. 97 percent of students live on campus, and housing is guaranteed for all four years. First-year students live in new or renovated residences on the Main Quad. First-year students become part of a dorm community where friendships and connections are generally made. Living on campus provides opportunities for social interaction, personal growth, and participation in campus activities.

Extracurricular Activities: A Kaleidoscope of Interests

Participation in extracurriculars is a big part of Amherst’s culture. There are over 100 student clubs and organizations covering a myriad of interests, from environmental groups to performing arts societies. Many students also participate in community service and volunteer work. These activities provide avenues for students to explore their passions, develop leadership skills, and contribute to the community.

Theme Communities: Living and Learning Together

Amherst College offers a variety of theme communities that provide students with the opportunity to live and learn alongside others who share similar interests or backgrounds. These communities foster a sense of belonging and provide a supportive environment for exploring identity and culture.

Cultural and Identity-Based Communities

Asian Culture House: Enhances awareness of all Asian cultures and promotes cultural diversity on campus. Each semester, members are required to organize one event that pertains to Asian culture and to attend events organized by fellow members.
Charles Drew Memorial Culture House (Drew House): A space where members of the Amherst College community can engage in intellectual debate, social activities, artistic expression, and all other endeavors that highlight the accomplishments of Black people throughout the years and around the world. This house has been named in honor of Dr. Charles Drew, class of 1926.
Dar al-Islam: Provides a comfortable, inclusive, and non-judgmental space for students interested in the spiritual, religious, and/or cultural practice and exploration of Islam.
La Casa: A residential environment for the promotion and expression of Latino cultures, bringing together students who have a demonstrated interest in celebrating and enhancing the awareness of Latinx cultures.
International Theme Community: Embraces and celebrates the diversity brought by international students, providing a welcoming environment for students of international experience.
The Sylvia Rivera Community: A community dedicated to maintaining an affirming and celebratory living environment for LGBTQ+ people, following Sylvia’s legacy of providing space for LGBTQ+ folks to live and build community together.

Language Houses

French House: Creates a residential environment for students interested in developing and exercising their skills in the French language.
German House: Provides its residents with an environment that encourages and facilitates the speaking of German and the exploration of the culture of German-speaking countries.
Russian House: Exists for students who want to learn about Russian culture through its language and who want to make Russian culture more prominent on campus.
Spanish House: Encourages students to speak in Spanish to allow for practice of the Spanish language and to explore and learn about Hispanic culture.

Arts and Special Interest Communities

Marsh Arts House: Provides a supportive working atmosphere for student artists, with access to space for producing and displaying work, space to perform, and resources to host events and classes related to the arts.

Campus Life Beyond Academics

Amherst College offers a wide array of activities and resources to enhance student life beyond the classroom.

Keefe Campus Center: The Hub of Campus Life

Every student visits Keefe Campus Center at least once a day. This yellow building in the heart of campus is home to a post office, movie theater, and game room; WAMH radio; Schwemm’s Coffee House; and student meeting and performance spaces. It’s also home to our campus resource centers and the Office of Student Engagement and Leadership.

Read also: Impact of Amherst's Endowment

Religion and Spirituality

Religious & Spiritual Life chaplains and staff are here to support you in your religious and spiritual exploration, assuring that you have access to the services and practices of your choosing.

Sports and Recreation

Athletics, fitness, and recreation are a vibrant part of living and learning at Amherst. Our extensive athletic facilities - open to all students - include excellent playing fields, an 8,000-square-foot fitness center, pool, courts, and an ice rink.

Nightlife

The Powerhouse is a former steam plant that was converted into a student nightclub - and is right here on campus. Go to the Powerhouse for live performances, movie screenings, art exhibits, panel discussions, pub nights, outdoor picnics, and more.

Arts and Museums

The influx of students (and faculty, staff and their families) means plenty of concerts, festivals, lectures, conferences, exhibitions and museums (including our own Emily Dickinson Museum, Beneski Museum of Natural History and Mead Art Museum). Galleries can be found in both Amherst and Northampton and families will love the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art. The Pioneer Valley is a major stop on the concert trail. Venues such as The Drake in Amherst and the Academy of Music in Northampton mean that you can watch live music pretty much every night (recent examples at Amherst College alone: Macklemore, The Decemberists, and The Roots, as well as the Music at Amherst concert series, which features chamber music and leading vocalists).

Cinema

Located downtown, Amherst Cinema Arts Center not only shows the latest arthouse features, classic films, and documentaries but also offers live discussions with film artists, education programs, and broadcasts of productions from around the world, including Britain’s National Theatre.

Read also: Getting into Amherst: Scores

Exploring the Town of Amherst

The town of Amherst offers a vibrant and welcoming atmosphere for students. With a population of 35,000 politically engaged, culturally aware people, and more than 30,000 college students living in Amherst during the academic year, the town is a hub of intellectual and cultural activity.

Dining and Coffee Shops

Sure, every college town has pizza places. But Antonio’s in Amherst is one of the best in the country, and there’s so much more, from French to Mexican to Italian to delicious deli. Check out the amazing variety. Amherst Coffee has been serving specialty coffee drinks since 2005. As one student put it, Share Coffee "attracts the kind of people you see in romantic comedy movies but secretly hope to meet in real life.”

Brew Pubs

Small-batch beer flows at the Amherst Brewing Company’s Hangar Pub & Grill on the edge of UMass. Locals love The Moan and Dove just a mile outside town, for its serious selection of casks and bottles.

Outdoor Life

The Valley’s outdoor life can’t be beat. Amherst College’s own Wildlife Sanctuary includes 500 acres of open fields, wetlands, flood plain woods, river, upland woods, plantation pines, and ponds.

Rail Trail

If bicycling (or jogging or cross-country skiing) is your thing, on our east edge lies the 11-mile Norwottuck Rail Trail. This paved trail cuts through the college’s Wildlife Sanctuary and connects Amherst, Hadley, and Northampton.

Local Parks

Having explored the local scenery since her arrival at Amherst, Sophia Maldonado ’20 created this interactive map of local public parks. Her map includes the Mill River, Kendrick, Sweetser, and Groff parks, all within the town of Amherst.

Getting Around

Buses operated by the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority (PVTA) take you wherever you want to go, well into the early morning hours and on weekends when school is in session. College students simply show their ID to ride as often as they like. And through our Zipcar program, you can get 24/7 access to Zipcars parked right on campus.

Transportation

Whether by air, rail or bus, traveling to and from Amherst is a breeze. Bradley International Airport near Hartford, Conn., is about an hour from campus, and Boston’s Logan Airport is about two and a half hours away. Shuttle transportation from either airport to campus is available. Megabus offers daily bus service to New York City, and Amtrak has limited service to nearby Northampton and extensive service to Springfield, Mass., just 30 minutes from campus.

Accommodations

We’re proud of our own Inn on Boltwood, recently restored to its former glory. Right on the Amherst Common and on the doorstep of campus, this inn has housed students, alumni, families and the occasional famous poet (Robert Frost) since 1926. It’s known for impeccable service, luxurious style, exceptional food and commitment to environmental sustainability. There are plenty of other lodging options, though.

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